Bird Flu Kills 52M Chickens And Turkeys In Worst U.S. Outbreak: USDA

ACROSS AMERICA — Backyard chicken and other poultry flocks continue to be at risk in the 2022 bird flu outbreak that has killed more than 52 million chickens and turkeys nationwide — making it the worst such outbreak in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture

The number of birds destroyed to prevent the spread of bird flu surpasses the more than 50 million birds killed in 2015 outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This year, bird flu has been confirmed in 275 commercial flocks and 371 backyard flocks in 46 states, according to the latest data from the USDA.

Turkey deaths at the beginning of the bird flu outbreak made the large turkeys costlier and harder to find for Thanksgiving. Large retailers that rolled back turkey prices to pre-pandemic levels softened the financial blow on the cost of Thanksgiving dinner.

There is no risk to humans who eat eggs and chickens from infected flocks as long as they’re properly handled and thoroughly cooked, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cooking to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit kills bacteria and viruses, including bird flu viruses. The CDC has long advised against eggs cooked sunny side up or over-easy.

And while you should avoid eating meat or eggs from poultry infected with bird flu, the USDA says there’s little chance infected poultry products will enter the food chain.

The current outbreak of avian flu is traced to wild birds that showed no signs of illness but likely carried the disease to new areas during migration, according to the USDA.

In most past bird flu outbreaks the virus largely died off during the summer, but this year's version found a way to linger and started to make a resurgence this fall after being detected in commercial flocks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.